Star of His Heart - Brenda Jackson [56]
A short while later he was walking her up the walkway to the front door. “I probably won’t get the chance to see you again before you return to school so I hope you enjoy the rest of your spring break.”
“Thanks, Alex,” Christy said when they had reached the brightly lit porch. She fumbled a few minutes in her purse before pulling out the key. After opening the door she turned to him. “Do you want to check inside?”
“No, that won’t be—”
At that moment the shrill sound of the phone interrupted what Alex was saying.
“Excuse me, that’s probably my parents calling from the hospital,” Christy said before racing off to the phone, leaving Alex standing in the doorway.
He stepped inside, closing the door behind him. As she crossed the room to answer the phone, he thought there was something very feminine and alluring about her walk that made his heart thunder deep in his chest. He tried not to notice the sexiness of her legs beneath her short silky-looking outfit or the way the dress caressed her body, emphasizing the curves beneath the soft material. And he could just imagine her wearing a majorette uniform marching across a football field at halftime. Sweet, hot desire gripped him at the thought of those long, slender legs kicking up, kicking out and lifting high.
“Hello? Mom! Yes, I just got in. Yes, Alex brought me home.” A few seconds later Christy’s face broke into a wide smile. “They did! That’s wonderful.” She turned to Alex. “Corinthians and Trevor had a boy!”
Christy then resumed her conversation with her mother. “Yes, I was talking to Alex. He’s still here. Sure, I’ll be okay if you and Dad decide to go and celebrate with the Grants and Averys tonight. All right. Goodbye, Mom.” Christy hung up the phone and looked over at Alex, smiling. “Isn’t that wonderful for Trevor and Corinthians?”
“Yes, if you’re into the family thing.”
Christy lifted a brow. “You’re not?”
“No. That’s something I don’t plan on getting into anytime soon. At least for another ten years or so,” he said smoothly. Inwardly he asked himself why he was having this conversation with her. Why was he even still there? He had done his duty and had made sure she was safely inside so now he could leave. He should quickly walk out the door before he was tempted to give in to this crazy impulse and cross the room and kiss Christy Madaris senseless.
“Ten years? You plan on waiting ten years before getting married? I’ll be nearly thirty-one by then,” Christy said annoyingly.
Alex raised a thick brow wondering what had gotten her all upset and why her age at the time he decided to marry meant anything. “Yes, I guess you will.”
She crossed her arms over her chest. “I don’t want to wait that long.”
Alex wished he could logically follow her conversation but she was downright confusing him. “You don’t want to wait that long for what?”
“To get married.”
Alex shook his head and decided to try another approach. “Christy, I’m sure you’ll be able to marry before your thirty-first birthday if that’s what you want.”
“Not if you plan to wait ten years.”
Alex was even more confused. “What does the amount of time I plan on waiting to marry have to do with you?”
Christy looked at him, surprise gleaming in her eyes. She then slowly crossed the room to him. “Don’t you know? Don’t you even remember?” she asked softly.
Alex looked at her serious expression. What was he supposed to know? What was he supposed to remember? “No. How about you tell me? Remind me,” he said quietly.
She nodded slowly, seriously. “Better yet, I can show you.” She lifted her finger to him and he saw the ring she intended for him to see. He quickly remembered it was an inexpensive ring he’d worn as a teenager on his pinkie finger. He had given it to her years ago.
“Do you remember when you gave this ring to me, Alex?”
He frowned. “Yes. It was on your thirteenth birthday.”
“Do you remember why you gave it to me?”
Alex shrugged. “Yes, you had been crying that day because of your brothers’ overprotectiveness. You